Machinery for printing upon matches



(No Model.)

J. H. MITCHELL.

MACHINERY FOR PRINTING UPON MATCHES. v No. 339,917. Patented 1886.

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, NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

J. HENRY MITCHELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINERY FOR PRINTING UPON MATCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,917, dated April 13, 1886.

Application filed January 529, 1885. Serial No.15 !,.'l03. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J HENRY MrrcHnLL, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and usefullmprovements in Machinery for Printing upon Matches, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for printing or marking upon the matchsplint any desired lettering or devicesuch as the name or trade-mark of the maker, &c.-- and it is especially adapted to be used in 0011- nection with a eontinuously-operating matchmachinesuch, for instance, as that described in my Letters Patent No. 304,018, dated August 20, 1884.. In match-machines of this class the match-splints are usually fed from a hopper onto a picking-up device, which transfers them to a belt or other traveling earrier,where they receive the heads, and as the subject matter of the present patent is preferably applied to the hopper and picking-up device, only those portions of the machinery will be shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure l is an exterior side elevation of the improved machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the interior as it would appear if the side of the hopper and the housing nearest the observer were removed. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine as seen from the left-hand side of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a view of the inner side of the housing and hopper. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the shield which extends across the opening of the hopper; and Fig. 6 is a similar view, on an enlarged scale, of the type-piece.

In the drawings, A B represent two upright pieces,which form the sides of the hopper and also the housings. These side pieces are held together at top and bottom by four girts, A. The hopper is formed by the two sides A and B and the pieces A A and B B, which project inwardly therefrom, so as to formflanges or rims on each side at the back and front ends, of sufficient depth to prevent the splints from falling out, but leaving an open space between the opposite flanges. The bottom of the hopper is formed by a port-ion of the periphery of the cylinder S, which I term the picking-up wheel, and which extends across from the side piece A to the side piece B. The picking-up wheel is provided with grooves or channels a, running across its periphery, parallel to the axis, and whose width is very slightly greater than the diameter of a matchsplint. The grooves a have substantially parallel sides, (instead of converging toward the bottom, as is sometimes the case in these ma chines,) and their depth is preferably about twice the thickness of the splint. The picking-up wheel S is mounted upon a shaft, 0, which projects through its bearings in the side pieces, A B, and is provided at its respective ends with a driving-gear, G, and a flanged pulley, E. Near the center of the hopper-bottom a shaft, 0, extends across it from side to side, and upon this shaft are mounted two rubber disks, e,whose'periphery just touches that of the picking-up wheel S. A shield, D, extends across the hopper just over the disks 8, which latter partly project forward therefrom through slots 1). At the back end of the hopper-bottom is a second shaft, T, having rubber disks m m, similar to c 6, but without any shield. The ends of the shafts O T are provided with flanged pulleys Q N, respectively, which are driven by means of a belt, a, from the pulley E. Curved guardfiangcs .I, projecting inwardly from the sides A B, extend around a portion of the periphcry of the picking-up wheel, and terminate at the point X, where the splints are transferred therefrom to the belt or other carrier. (Not shown.)

Vithin each receptacle of the picking-up wheel S is a type-pieee, F, of rectangular. eross-section, and such diameter as to move freely therein, but slightly longer than the cylinder S, so that its ends project on either side thereof. The projecting ends of the typepieces F are received within cam-grooves F, formed on the inside of the pieces A and B, (see Fig. 4,) the configuration of the cam being such to effect the movements hereinafter described.

Each type-piece is provided with suitable lettering or other devices, which are to be printed on the splints, and has at its center and near each end raised bearingsurfaees f, whose height is slightly greater than that of the letters, &c.

Upon projections R at the back of the side pieces, AB, is mounted a shaft, q, driven by means of a gear, G, from the gear 0, which gears I preferably construct with, respectively, eight and thirty-two teeth. The journalboXes Z of the shaft q move horizontally in sliding bearings, (see Fig. 4,) but are pressed toward the picking-up wheel S by means of springs 7c. The shaft (1 carries two longitudinallygrooved cylinders, g g, which I term the printing-wheels, and upon the raised portions or teeth of which are suitable letters or other devices. These teeth correspond in nu m ber to those of the gear G, and are so spaced as to register with the grooves a of the picking-up wheel S, as shown in Fig. 2. Inkingrollers P l? are mounted above the printingwheel 9 9, so as to supply ink to the raised portions thereof, and similar rollers,I I, are mounted in bearings t", to ink the lettering on the type-pieces F, but not the surfacesf f f.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The hopper is filled with splints in the usual manner, and power is applied to the gear 0, which, together with the picking-up wheel S, rotates in the direction of the arrow. The splints descend by gravity into the grooves a of the picking-up wheel, theirlodgment therein being aided by the disks 6 e and m m, which are rotated 'by means of the belt a.

The object of providing the two sets of disks is not only to insure the filling of the grooves a, but to permit the use of a very capacious hopper, since the shield D divides its bottom into two compartments in such manner that there is no possibility of the splints becoming crossed with the grooves of the picking-up wheel, as they are liable to do where the hopper is of considerable depth from back to front. The configuration of the cams F F is such that when the splints are being received in the grooves a the typepieces F are drawn down into the bottom thereof, so that the whole thickness of the splint is within the groove.

The lettering on the type-pieces F has previously been inked by contact with the rolls I; but, as previously stated, the surfaces fff are clean, and, as these project slightly above the lettering, the match-splints rest on them and do not smear the ink. As the pickingup wheel rotates, the ends of the splints are brought inside of the guards J J on each side, which prevent them from falling out until the proper point is reached. When the splints come opposite to the printing-wheels g g, the raised teeth of the latter press upon them hard, and (as the wood yields sufficiently) force theirunder sides into contact with the lettering on the type-pieces F, at the same time printing on their outer sides. Each half of the splint is thus printed upon its opposite side, so that when the splint is finally cut in two each match has received its complete label or mark. The pickingup wheel conti nues to rotate, and when the point x is reached the cams F commence to move the type-pieces F slightly outward, this outward movement being continued so as to discharge the splints at the point X onto the. belt or traveling carrier, which, however, need not be described, as it may be constructed in-any of the well-known forms. tinue to hold the type-pieces Fin their outer- The camsFF conmost radial position until they have passed beneath the rollers I and received the necessary ink, after which they are drawn'in by the inclines y, so as to open the grooves a and receive the splints.

I claim 1. In a match-printing machine, the combination of a hopper, a picking-up wheel having receptacles whose bottoms are provided with type, and means whereby the splintsare pressed inward against said type, substantially as set forth.

2; In a match-printing machine, the com bination of a hopper, a' picking-upwheel having receptacles adapted to receiverand hold: the splints, a printing-cylinder provided with.

a series of radially-projecting type so spaeed:

as to registerwith the saidreceptaele's, .and#

means whereby said picking upwheel: and

said cylinder are respectively rotated in. ,the:

manner set forth. I V

3. In a match-printing machine, .thei-com-l bination of a hopper, a picking-up-vrheel hav-s ing receptacles whose bottoms are provided with, radially-movable type,;a suitable; pressing device for pressing said splints against said type, and a cam whereby said type are depressed during the period of 1 reception of the splints, and subsequently moved-mat ward to discharge them, substantially'as set;

forth.

4. In a' match-printing machine, the combination of a hopper, a picking-up. wheel having receptacles whose bottoms are provided with radially-movable type, a printing-cylin-. der provided with a series of radially-projecting type so spaced as to register with the said receptacles, and a' cam Wherebythe type. of.

the picking-up wheel are depresseddnring.

the period of reception of the splints and- Inoved outward after the printing operation to discharge the splints, substantiallyasset forth.

5. The combination of the receptacles oh the picking up wheel with the type pieces forming the bottomof said2receptacle,and

provided with bearing-surfaces f, which pro ject beyond the faces of the type,whereby the splints are supported clear of 1 the type until the printing operation occurs.

6. The combination, with the hopperand the picking-up wheel, of the shaft 0, extends ing across the bottom of the hopper at the middle thereof, the disks e, mounted'on said shaft, the shield D, arranged over said shaft. and disks, and the second shaft, T, anddisks m, extending across the bottom of the hop;

per at the rear end thereof, substantially'as set forth.

J. HENRY MITCHELL.

W'itnesses: CHARLES F. ZEIGLER, THos. M. SMITH. 

